


Salvation

by Vault_Emblem



Category: Fire Emblem Series, Fire Emblem: Soen no Kiseki/Akatsuki no Megami | Fire Emblem Path of Radiance/Radiant Dawn
Genre: Bittersweet, Branded!Elena, Captivity, F/F, Hurt/Comfort, Pre-Canon, because despite everything we know how it ends
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-08-28
Updated: 2019-08-28
Packaged: 2020-09-25 18:29:38
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,355
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20376160
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Vault_Emblem/pseuds/Vault_Emblem
Summary: Lillia is imprisoned, but the Goddess sends someone to help her.





	Salvation

**Author's Note:**

  * For [dornishsphinx](https://archiveofourown.org/users/dornishsphinx/gifts).

> I've seen other people theorize this, anyway I really like the idea of heron branded Elena.  
This was a thing written for a discord server. Dornishsphinx, I hope you like this! Sorry if it took me so long but I had a bit of a block when it came to FE stuff. Thankfully Three Houses helped me to get over it.
> 
> You can also find me on tumblr [@bi-naesala](https://bi-naesala.tumblr.com) and on twitter [@vault_emblem](https://twitter.com/vault_emblem)

_Hunger…_

_Thirst…_

_Sleep…_

Days pass, weeks even, maybe even months.

Solitude isn’t good for herons, and Lillia isn’t an exception to this. It’s maddening, being trapped between these four walls.

And the worst thing is that she can feel many presences around her, outside her cage, so close and yet so far. They’re afraid, and their fear turns into prayers, and yet Lillia doesn’t understand: what kind of prayer can come out such… bad people?

In her desperation she’s beginning to hope – to pray – for death, but they are doing an excellent job at keeping her alive; they need her to free the dark god from the medallion, but she won’t budge, even in hunger, even in thirst.

She can’t condemn the world like this, even as the chances of salvation become slimmer and slimmer by the day. Someone must come, though; the Goddess surely wouldn’t let her be armed in such a cruel way, right?

Salvation comes in different forms, and Lillia’s comes in the shape of a woman with soft blue hair and gentle gaze.

Lillia notices immediately as soon as she wakes up that something’s different: the air feels clearer, even more refreshing, than it usually does.

She tries to get up, but she doesn’t have much energy left. Thankfully someone helps her, as Lillia feels two hands guiding her to sit down.

Her eyes take a moment to focus, but she can finally see a woman. She looks young and she’s smiling at her, and despite the situation, Lillia finds herself smiling back – maybe for the first time in a long while.

They don’t speak – they wouldn’t understand each other – but there is no need for it.

Lillia knows that she should be weary, but she’s so desperate for something, a sign from her dear Goddess, that she can’t help but to open up to this woman with a heart so gentle that makes her question her heritage: can such a pure hearted woman be actually from Daein?

She can feel it in her heart that she wants to help, and it sparkles joy in her to see that there is still some good in the world. Maybe she really is the sign she needed.

It wasn’t that hard to convince the guards to let her in, because as soon as Elena discovered the presence of the heron girl, she knew she had to do something about it.

\- If you really need her alive, shouldn’t there be someone to make sure she doesn’t die? -, she asked the guard’s chief. She almost feels sick of having to use such a wicked motivation, but at least she managed to convince the guard to let her pass.

As soon as she got inside, the first thing she noticed are the disastrous conditions this poor girl was living in.

At least it seemed that the heron was sleeping – and despite everything, Elena couldn’t help but to notice how pretty she is, even in this state.

She should focus on what she planned to do – starting with cleaning up the room – she reminded herself, and maybe having the heron asleep was better; she hoped at least that waking up in a more hospital environment could help her.

It did.

Elena’s presence really helped Lillia, and keeps helping.

The heron has never met such a peaceful human, someone that would be so attuned to the forces of order. She can feel her in her soul: she and Elena are bonded by something, a mystical energy that has made their fates intertwine.

Now she even talks.

All the time spent in solitude had killed her will to talk: even singing, something that she did at first as a way to find comfort, turned out to be useless. Even if she screamed and yelled and cried, what difference would it make when nobody’s was going to save her?

Her voice doesn’t feel like hers the first time she speaks: it’s so rugged and tired, not at all like it once used to be, but Elena never batted an eye at this, even if she can’t understand what she’s saying. If anything, Lillia only feels guilt and sadness coming from her, because she allowed something like this to happen.

With time, they begin to find a way to communicate. It’s a made up language made of modern tongue, ancient tongue and hand gestures.

It’s not anything too elaborate, but it doesn’t need to be. As long as they can communicate with each other, there’s nothing else they need.

\- _It’s not your fault_ -, she says one time, in ancient language, when Elena embraces her. They’re both trembling and close to cry.

\- _It’s not your fault _-.

Once her voice gets better, Lillia begins to sing. Those are the songs of her people, but Lillia feels safe sharing them with Elena.

The beorc is always enraptured by what she sings, and the way she looks at Lillia makes her feel special. It’s almost enough to make her forget about the fact that she’s being held captive there.

She sings a soft lullaby every night before going to sleep.

By now it seems that either Elena has been held captive with her or she doesn’t want to leave, but it doesn’t matter; the fact that she enjoy her company makes Lillia very happy, especially during moments like this, when she’s beside her on the mattress that they are calling a bed, lying down with her eyes closed, smiling at the sound of her voice filling the room, but never too high as she doesn’t want to be heard outside: this is something for Elena’s ears and hers alone.

Lillia gently brushes her fingers against Elena’s hair and she keeps singing as long as she can, her voice getting softer and softer as exhaustion takes over her mind and body.

\- _Teach me_ -.

Those words carry a weight with them, and Lillia looks at Elena curiously.

\- _Teach me your songs_ -.

She wants to help, that much is obvious: Lillia might be a prisoner, but she still has a duty to carry, keeping the dark god inside the Medallion at bay with her songs. However spending this much energy always takes a toll on her, but she persists, knowing that she’ll doom every one if she fails.

Teaching the songs of her people to a beorc feels sacrilegious, but this is a desperate situation and yes, Lillia would appreciate some help. She knows Elena is trustworthy – she can feel it in her soul – and maybe her pure spirit will be enough to keep the Medallion sealed, even if Elena has none of her dynasty’s powers.

Actually, there’s something about her…

Lillia doesn’t know if it’s because she’s helping her – because she’s desperate to feel close to anybody – or because there’s actually something going on, but Elena feels closer to her than any other beorc would.

Elena embodies all the good that the Goddess brought to this earth; she shines so bright and Lillia can only observe her, admiring her beauty and determination.

All right.

She’s going to teach her.

Teaching Elena is easier than Lillia expected. She is a very talented woman, and she has some sort of instinct that always points her to the right direction when it comes to these things.

Harmonizing with her brings makes her feel like she’s back to Serenes and she only has Elena to thank for this.

Their hands are conjoined, there heart united.

Lillia has never felt this close to anyone in all her life.

Now Elena is able to her keeping the god at bay.

Whenever Lillia’s too tired to sing, she’d take her place, singing while Lillia rests in bed, head on Elena’s shoulder, her eyes closed and lips curved up into a smile at the sound of her melodious and sweet voice.

Suddenly she feels a movement as Elena’s hand stretches towards hers, holding it softly.

Lillia opens her eyes, and she swears, Elena has never looked this astounding, and Lillia has never felt this lucky that, even in her sufferance, the Goddess has decided to bestow her this benediction.

She could hear her sing forever.


End file.
